Strouse Photo Tip #46: Fighting Planning Fatigue

Planning a wedding is literally taking your dreams and making them a reality. You and your significant other get to look dreamily into each other's eyes while you pick linens, taste cakes, and make honeymoon plans over a nice glass of wine. It's not always string quartets and fillet mignon, a good portion of your planning will be "heated discussions" and multi-hour deliberations over the perfect table setting. Here are four ways to beat planning fatigue:

1.) Go on a date

It seems like a no-brainer, but take time to remember that while technically you are days away from being a married couple, you are still dating! Take turns planning a date night and make a pinky promise not to discuss the wedding once. Catch a movie, take a walk along the river, or check out that new art exhibition you have been putting off. As the wedding gets closer your free time will start to dwindle so take advantage of those spare seconds now!

2.) Short focused efforts

There's nothing us guys like to do more than procrastinate. It's amazing the things you are willing to do as long as it gets you out of questions like "gerber daisies or dutch tulips", but the key is short bursts of focused effort. For every 12 minute game of Fifa 16, you promise to give your fiance 24 minutes of uninterrrupted wedding planning focus. You can do it!

3.) Prioritize

Every decision and detail seems like THE most important thing when you are in the thick of planning, but sometimes it's helpful to take a step back and ask yourself, "Is it worth losing a night's worth of sleep over whether the centerpieces have white or off-white pebbles?" If you only have the mental energy to make one decision each day is it more important to decide which all inclusive resort you are going to book for your honeymoon or if each table will have two or three candles? Go with your gut on the small stuff and spend your mental energy on the stuff that really matters.

4.) Delegate

The great thing about planning a wedding is that the burden doesn't have to rest solely on you! Not only do you have your significant other, but you have a whole slew of family members, bridal party participants, and friends who can help with the grunt work. Now that you have your "to-do's" prioritized, take a look at your list and ask "what decisions or tasks can I put in someone else's capable hands". There will be plenty of bows to tie, stamps to be licked, and things to be spell checked. Take stock of your family/friend's talents and put them to good use! This will free you up to work on the big picture stuff and your family/friends will feel like they are contributing!

Planning is truly fun and hopefully a once in a lifetime experience! What are some ways that you avoid the "decision blues"?

Need more more tips and inspiration? Read them here: #StrousePhotoTips